The invention relates to a method for producing an elastic heating device having a heating profile designed to enclose and control the temperature of medical instruments, comprising at least one cavity that extends axially along the heating profile and can be accessed from the outside, for inserting a medical instrument, and at least one axial bore that extends along the entire length of the heating profile, for receiving a temperature control means.
Heating devices of this type are used to cool, heat and/or maintain a defined temperature of medical instruments, e.g. infusion tubes, and liquids or gases that flow through them.
A heating device of this type is disclosed e.g. in DE 827 702. A tube used for injecting medical solutions is surrounded along its entire length by channels in which a heating agent is circulated, wherein the heating agent channels are formed by one or more tubes. In order to enclose almost the entire periphery of the injection tube, several tubes are connected to each other through vulcanization, which can impair the heat transfer from the heating profile to the tube.
A further heating device, which is shown and described in DE 4 241 830 A1, has a heating profile designed as a one-piece jacket which comprises a continuous channel for receiving an infusion tube. The received infusion tube is surrounded inside the channel by an electrically heatable heat transfer body of metal. This can reduce the flexibility of the heating profile and its adjustability to the conditions at the location of use.
DE 4 444 180 C2 discloses a heating device using a heating profile having the shape of a slotted tube in which heating wires or heating fluid channels are embedded. The heating profile is produced as a section of an endless profile into which the temperature control means are inserted, embedded or vulcanized. Later introduction of the temperature control means into a section of the endless profile requires additional production steps, such as insertion of heating wires. Good thermal transfer from the temperature control means to the heating profile can thereby not be ensured. Direct insertion of the heating wires, e.g. through vulcanization, increases the overall production expense, since e.g. the follow-up work for exposing the electrical temperature control means requires significant time and work.
A further development of this heating profile which is disclosed in DE 299 17 247 U1 has grooves for inserting and holding the infusion tube. This ensures good thermal transfer from the heating profile to an inserted infusion tube. Insertion of heating elements into bores of the groove flanks, as disclosed in DE 4 444 180 C2, reduces the efficiency of thermal transfer from the heating elements to the heating profile.
It is the underlying purpose of the invention to introduce a method for the production of a heating device having a heating profile which ensures good thermal contact between the temperature control means and the flexible heating profile, and which also permits provision of the temperature control means independently of the heating profile being produced.